Becky
Stapleton, senior
executive vice president and chief banking officer of S&T Bank, delivered a guest presentation at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s
(IUP) Eberly College of Business and Information Technology on
November 10, 2015. Stapleton
presented to more than 30 students in Stephen Osborne’s “Seminar in Management” class.

Stapleton,
a key driver in the strategic planning and direction of S&T Bank, holds
responsibilities for developing, overseeing, and managing the vision and
strategy for the retail branch network, wealth management, and the insurance
divisions.

Before she
became senior executive vice president and chief banking officer, Stapleton served
as the director of human resource management and employee communication. She
worked successfully and comfortably in this position for several years;
however, when the opportunity for promotion and role change presented itself to
her in June 2014 she asked herself, “do I want to spend the next 10 to 12 years
essentially doing the same thing that I have been doing, or can I ramp it up
one more time?” By accepting the promotion, she realized what her capabilities truly
entailed.

During
her presentation, Stapleton addressed her past experiences as she presented the
class with insights on how she reached her current position, and also gave the
students guidance on how they can accomplish their own professional goals. Stapleton
emphasized the importance of continuing to challenge oneself and not being
afraid to take risks even if they are uncomfortable.

“Whatever
you choose to do in life, don’t always accept the comfort that comes with good
job knowledge,” Stapleton said. “If you don’t explore all of your abilities you
might miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Stapleton
emphasized the importance of soft skills as she spoke about the significant
role these skills played in her promotion. She stressed that having great leadership
and management skills in addition to being a team player, being customer-centered,
and always staying involved with the community helped her tremendously in the
long run. Stapleton suggested that students keep this in mind and remember the
need for soft skills when starting their own professional careers.

Following
the many encouraging, inspiring, and insightful statements Stapleton made
throughout her presentation, she closed with a concise summary of some of the
important values she learned throughout her professional career.

“Always be
in the moment,” Stapleton said. “Be thoughtful, engaged, bright, curious, and
never stop learning. Sell yourself and sell your ideas every single day.”